


Fall For You

by Errant_Thoughts



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-06
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-14 02:50:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/831847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Errant_Thoughts/pseuds/Errant_Thoughts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything had been going splendidly the first six months or so, and then all of a sudden things started to change. Alex had started drifting, and Matt had started clinging to her harder than ever. It had taken him a year of wooing and essentially degrading himself to convince her to give the two of them a shot; he wasn't going to let her simply push him away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Story title from Secondhand Serenade's "Fall For You"

Matt looked down at Alex asleep next to him and sighed. She looked so peaceful when she slept and it occurred to Matt that he hadn't seen her so vulnerable in weeks - months even. They had been together for a year now, not that anyone aside from their immediate families (and Steven, because who could keep a secret from that man?) knew of their relationship. Everything had been going splendidly the first six months or so, and then all of a sudden things started to change. Alex had started drifting, and Matt had started clinging to her harder than ever. It had taken him a year of wooing and essentially degrading himself to convince her to give the two of them a shot; he wasn't going to let her simply push him away. 

As he gazed down at the serene face beside him he tried to figure out what to do. They fought constantly- Alex for her "independence" or "space", Matt for the woman he loved. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what sort of switch had gone off in her head to make her feelings change so drastically. There had to be something she wasn't telling him. 

She stirred then, rolling away from Matt onto her back and stretching before opening her eyes and sighing. "Good morning, sweetie," she said. "Sleep well?"

Matt took a deep breath.  _So she was going to pretend nothing happened last night, then?_ he thought.  _Fine. Well she isn't going to get away with it._ "You know very well I didn't sleep hardly at all, Kingston," he practically growled in her direction, refusing to actually look at her. 

"Matt, are we really going to start off the day like this again? Like we have every day for nearly a week?" Alex rolled out of bed and walked over to the en suite. "I'm getting a bit tired of it. Aren't you?" Matt refused to answer and instead got dressed quickly and walked out the door. If Alex didn't want to talk about it then so be it. They wouldn't talk.

*****

He walked in the door of their flat a couple hours after dark. Alex had tried calling him a couple times later in the day, but Matt didn't have the strength to argue anymore. He figured he could wait until she would be getting ready for bed and just sleep on the couch. The coward's way out, sure, but he was just exhausted. He refused to give up on her, but he needed a day to recoup. 

She was curled into a ball on the sofa, a stack of tissues on the coffee table in front of her and a half empty bottle of wine next to them. All the anger Matt had been holding during the day dissipated with a quick reath and as he turned toward their bedroom he heard a soft gasp. "You're home," Alex whispered. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Matt responded shortly, stopping but not turning around. "I just want to sleep, Alex. I'm exhausted. We can talk tomorrow. Or not."

"I'm glad you're home," she said softly. And with that Matt continued down the hallway and closed the door. He had no idea how to fix his relationship anymore. They couldn't talk to each other, and he was beginning to think there was no way to get back to the beginning.

*****

"I don't know what to do, mate," Matt told Arthur. "All we do is fight. Constantly. It's like she doesn't love me anymore and I don't know how or when she stopped."

"That's not it," Arthur replied. He looked at his friend with concern in his eyes. "She still loves you. She's scared, though. You know why it took so long to convince her to try, don't you?"

"I was too young," Matt rattled off quickly the excuse Alex had used countless times before she finally agreed to try and see past the numbers. 

Arthur laughed darkly. "Is that what she told you?"

"You know that's what she told me," Matt glared at him.

"As much as age may have been a factor in the beginning," Arthur explained, "she gave up on that one real quick. She's  _scared_. Always has been. She knew what she meant to you and she believed it the first time you told her. And she was afraid that, if she gave in, the same thing would happen to the two of you that had happened to the last two serious relationships she was part of."

Matt was silent for a minute as realization hit. "So she still loves me?" he asked quietly- timidly. "Why does she keep trying to push me away, then? She's been trying for months, and I'm still here. Hasn't she figured out she can't get rid of me that easily?"

"That's something for the two of you to discuss," Arthur said. "But yes, she still loves you. So stop being a pillock and go remind her why."

*****

Matt sat in his room trying to figure out how to prove (again) that he loved Alex, and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon. He racked his brain every chance he got for days trying to put together the best series of events to put his relationship back together. Because he would need an entire series of events to patch what had broken over the last few months. After about two weeks of planning, lots of phone calls, and some help from very excited members of his and Alex's family alike, Matt felt ready to implement his plan.

*****

Alex walked into the apartment unsure of what to expect. She hated that feeling, and lately she had to experience it every time she got ready to walk through her own front door. She knew it was mostly her fault, as much of the arguments stemmed from her catalyst, but she still didn't like it. She placed her hand on the doorknob and slowly pushed it open with a heavy sigh. 

Whatever she had prepared herself for, what she walked into was definitely not it. The only light on in the flat was the kitchen, and candles were littered across every available tabletop. A vase of beautiful white roses were sat on the counter and Matt was standing at the stove with a stoic look on his face. Alex could see the hint of that lopsided smile fighting its way through, though. She was completely at a loss for words, but Matt didn't seem to mind.

"Don't say anything," he spoke quietly, as though he were afraid to spook her. I have a few things I'd like to say. First, I want to apologize." At this statement Alex started to speak, but Matt shushed her with a finger on her lips and led her over to the dining table to sit. "I know you've been pulling away, but it isn't your fault, love," Matt explained. "I haven't been doing a very good job of loving you lately. Once I convinced you to give my stupid mug a shot, I got lazy. And that isn't fair." Alex just stared up at Matt as he spoke, unsure of what to do. Half of her was in shock at the incredible change he seems to have made overnight. For weeks he had been brooding silently, practically ignoring her, and before that he was constantly angry, arguing with her every change he got. So now she didn't know what to believe: this lovely, apologetic man standing in front of her or the angry brood of the last few weeks. As if her mind weren't confused enough already.  
  


She glanced back up at him and was startled to realize he had finished speaking and was looking at her expectantly. "Sorry, sweetie," she said, looking the portrait of sincerity. "I missed that last part." Matt sighed and shook his head, clearly assuming Alex was playing up her power. But then he looked at her with a fire in his eyes that no one could misunderstand. 

"I said," he repeated calmly and slowly, "that if you're willing, I'd like to have one more chance to prove to you that I am worth it. The last few months have been rocky, and both of us are at fault. But no matter what you may think, I have never stopped loving you. And I am asking yo for one more chance to show you. _Please_ , Alex." His voice broke as he whispered the last sentence and he was practically on his knees by the time he'd finished speaking. Alex looked up at him dumbfounded. She had no idea what to do. So she simply said, "okay". 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex seemed to be a bit more receptive to him now, but something was still holding her back. He needed to find a way to show her that he wasn't Florian, and he certainly wasn't Ralph. He just had no idea how. Until he was walking down the street one morning and saw a sign in a window: "Teach her to dance! Ballroom is the way to her heart." It couldn't be a more perfect idea.

Alex still had no idea what to think about her current situation. The past couple of weeks had been wonderful, sure. Matt was always home for dinner unless they kept him late on set- and even then he called. Every so often she would wake up to a vase full of wildflowers picked from the park down the street and a note that said simply, "I love you- M". They had slept in the same bed together for two weeks straight, which hadn't happened in months. There were no arguments unless you counted the well-intentioned bickering that occurred in any established relationship. It was as though the last six months had never happened.

She had a difficult time believing it would last, though. If all they had done was rewind the clock, then the same problems that showed up the first time would surely come up again, wouldn't they? Alex wasn't ready to take their relationship public. Their families knew because Alex hadn't the heart to keep it from her sister and Matt's sister found out on her own, sneaky little bugger that she is. Not to mention Alex  _hated_ keeping secrets from Salome. But Matt wanted to show her off. He wanted to take her out to dinners, premiers, even just go for a walk down the street together and hold her hand. But Alex wasn't ready for that step quite yet. Publicity scared her. Matt scared her. His intensity scared her. And if she were being quite honest, she scared herself a bit as well.

At that moment the door opened and Alex jumped out of her seat. "Darling, you're home early," she said breathlessly as Matt traipsed into the flat. "You frightened me half to death!"

"Sorry, love," he replied, not looking the least bit apologetic. "I snuck out a bit early. They were done with my scenes anyway, so I figured why not? I've missed you these last few days with all the late shoots. And I have a special surprise."

Alex looked up and saw the lopsided, goofy grin she had missed so terribly during their months of anger. She smiled in spite of herself and clapped her hands together. "A surprise?" she asked. Matt reached into a paper bag and produced a few small boxes. "What's this?" she asked, reaching out for one of them.

"Well open it, silly," Matt laughed.

Alex giggled as she looked into the first container, suddenly feeling giddy. It was dinner from her favorite restaurant, that Matt had always wanted to take her to for a romantic night out. "You got them to package something to go?" she asked, still not quite believing her eyes. "I've been trying for years, and they never let me! What kind of magic did you work on them, darling?"

Matt smiled down at her, his eyes alight in a way that made Alex's heart glow. "My secret, Kingston," he said cryptically. "But I know how much you love the little place, as pompous as the owner may be, and I've always wanted to take you there. So I thought I'd compromise. How does a romantic night in sound?"

"It sounds lovely," Alex replied.

*****

His plan was working perfectly so far and Matt was starting to think that everything was going to turn out fine after all. He had gone back to the little things: touching her more, talking to her about her day instead of just venting about his own, reminding her that the effort he put in to get her was not a waste of his time. And he added a couple big fish to the mix as well- just to keep her guessing. Bringing her favorite dinner home to her was the best one so far. It had taken so much planning and he finally had to pull in a favor as "The Doctor" to convince the owner to allow it. Sometimes being famous had its perks. Alex seemed to be more receptive to him now, but something was still holding her back. He needed to find a way to show her that he wasn't Florian, and he certainly wasn't Ralph. He just had no idea how. Until he was walking down the street one morning and saw a sign in a window: "Teach her to dance! Ballroom is the way to her heart." It couldn't be a more perfect idea.

*****

Alex was on her way home when she got a text from Matt asking her to meet him and some of the cast at a certain address at 8pm. The only explanation she got was, "It's a surprise! Trust me. Oh- and bring your dancing shoes!" She had no idea what that meant, but she tried not to get excited about the prospect of going dancing. She had asked Matt countless times and he always found a way to excuse himself. What would have changed now?

She used all her willpower not to Google the address when she got home and instead rushed straight into the shower. When she got out she noticed something lying on the bed, and walked over as she dried her hair. It was a stunning olive green dress with a note attached: "Wear this tonight, please?". The dress was shorter than she'd normally wear, stopping mid-thigh, and the back was cut lower than she felt comfortable with. To be honest, it looked more like a dress for River Song than it did for Alex herself. She sighed as she debated whether or not to appease Matt and wear the damned thing anyway. He had been trying so hard this last month that she decided to give it a shot. Give a little, get a little, right? Besides, it _was_  a gorgeous color. The dress would make her eyes look frighteningly green.

As she walked into the building of the address Matt had given her, Alex was shocked to discover it was a dance club. But not a typical dance club- this one was all ballroom. She gasped. At that moment Karen barreled up to her with Arthur in tow and attacked her in a hug. "Look who finally decided to show her face!"

"Hello Mum, Dad," Alex chuckled. "Any idea what's going on here?" Matt was still huddled in their booth, keeping their distance. Alex silently thanked him, then walked over as Arthur explained that Matt had the daft idea to bring them all out dancing tonight. Something unheard of for a clumsy oaf like him. 

Alex slapped Arthur's arm good-naturedly as Matt slid from the booth to greet Alex with a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek. She silently thanked him again for playing it cool and simple, but a voice in the back of her mind wondered if he would try to argue with her later about not being public again. As she took her place in the booth Matt walked over to the bar with Arthur to get drinks for everyone.

"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" Matt asked, glancing back at the table and offering a smile to Alex when he caught her eye. "She wore the dress I got her. I wonder how long she battled with putting it on."

"She looks good, Matt," Arthur said, joining him in his gaze back to the rest of their party. "She looks happier, too. Whatever you're doing, it seems to be working."

"I'm just doing what I used to. And not getting lazy about it," Matt replied.

"Well, good. Because if you two ended up splitting, I'd have to hurt you. And I don't want to do that." 

Matt looked at Arthur, a bit shocked, but his face slackened when he saw the smile on his friend's face. "I don't want you to do that either," he laughed.

When the boys returned to the table with the drinks, Arthur reached his hand out to Karen for a dance. They fought silently for a minute until Arthur grabbed her hand and dragged her out to the dance floor, leaving Alex and Matt alone for the time being. They watched their friends dance for a moment before Matt looked back at Alex and caught her eyes.

"You look incredible," he said, his eyes darkening a bit as he let his eyes rake over what he could see of Alex's figure. "I'm glad you decided to wear the dress."

"I feel a little ridiculous, darling," she said. She couldn't hide the smile creeping onto her face as she looked down, though.

"Why would you? You're stunning! And before you say it, Kingston, that dress is  _not_ too 'young' for you."

"Flatterer," Alex threw back at him with a laugh. Matt was silent for a moment, and when Alex looked up from the table Matt was standing next to it with his hand outsretched. "What are you doing?" Alex asked, confused.

"Asking you to dance, if that's alright," Matt said, trepidation creeping into his voice. He knew she loved dancing, but he wasn't quite sure she'd be willing to dance with him. Things may have been improving, but this would be more intimate than they've been in months. Alex's eyes bore into Matt's while she considered, and finally, slowly, she stood and accepted his hand. Matt sighed in relief. The smile that decorated his face seemed to be contagious, and by the time the two reached the dance floor they were both giggling like fools.

Matt took Alex's right hand and wrapped his own around her waist contentedly. They began to waltz with the rest of the couples on the floor and Alex's eyes grew wide as she learned that Matt was not always a clumsy fool. 

"You can dance?" she asked as Matt spun gracefully. "Since when?"

"Since I became a genius and took lessons to surprise you," he grinned. He pulled her close and lowered his head to her ear. "Sometimes secrets can be good, Kingston," he whispered. Alex shuddered at his breath on her skin as Matt took a step away, back to a normal waltz position to continue their dance. 

The night continued without any major problems. The couples switched partners a few times so as not to draw attention to themselves, and Matt learned that Karen was as terrible a dancer as Alex was delightful. They shared a cab back to their flats and as soon as Matt had closed the door behind him and Alex, she jumped on him, kissing him with a ferocity he hadn't seen since they had first started dating. 

"Thank you," she breathed when she broke for air. 

"For what?" he asked, confused. 

"A night out with no fighting, and no pressure." She pulled back from him but kept her arms wrapped around his waist, refusing to break contact completely. "You didn't once try to do anything that would cause chaos with the press, and I appreciate that."

"I thought about it, believe me," Matt said, a finger tracing down her cheek to rest on her shoulder. "But I love you, and I - though I don't understand why, I know you aren't ready. I told you I'd wait- and I will."

Alex sighed. The months of fighting had fueled her with plenty of excuses not to go public, but the past couple of weeks were taking them all away. "I don't know why either," she said softly. Matt's eyes grew wide and she could feel his grip on her tighten as though waiting for her to say what he'd been wanting to hear for months. "I'm still not ready," she added, and his grip loosened slightly. "But I'm running out of excuses. The fear is still there, though. I don't know how to get rid of it."

"You think I'm not scared?" Matt asked softly. "I'm terrified, Alex! The press is going to eat us alive with It's about time's or What about the age difference's and any other number of responses." He pulled her chin up to meet his eyes gently. "But I love you so much that the fear doesn't matter. Because as long as I have you beside me, I will be able to handle it. And once you realize that the fear isn't going to go away, you will learn how to work through it. Trust me."

"I do," she said. She pulled his face to hers for a slow, lingering kiss, tangling her fingers in his hair. When she pulled away she grabbed his hand and walked toward the door. "I know it's late, but would you care for a walk, sweetie?" she asked.

"Um, sure," Matt said, not sure where Alex was going with this. As they walked out the door, Alex didn't drop his hand. In fact, she gripped it tighter, bringing their hands up so that she could kiss his knuckles. "Alex, what -?"

"It's late, and not a lot of people are out, but it's a first step. And I have to take it eventually, right?"

Matt beamed at her with a smile on his face that made Alex's heart soar. "Right."

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The late-night walks had turned into early morning strolls, and trips to the coffee shop every week or so. The coffee dates were always accompanied by scripts or other work related papers as an alibi, but the two rarely talked about anything they were working on as they sat in the comfortable chairs of the small shop. They spoke less and less about the months of fighting, and had actually started making plans. Plans of buying a house together, of a future. Plans of going public.

The late-night walks had turned into early morning strolls, and trips to the coffee shop every week or so. The coffee dates were always accompanied by scripts or other work related papers as an alibi, but the two rarely talked about anything they were working on as they sat in the comfortable chairs of the small shop. They spoke less and less about the months of fighting, and had actually started making plans. Plans of buying a house together, of a future. Plans of going public.

Alex had brought it up one night after Matt had mentioned he was going to take Laura to a premier. He never invited her anymore. Though they hadn't fought in months about going public, Alex knew that Matt was still afraid of striking a nerve with her and starting everything over again. So when he got invited to red carpet events, he always found a friend or family member to take- he'd even taken his mother once. At first Alex was relieved that he'd stopped asking, but now that they were doing well and their coffee dates had gone over relatively smoothly with little press coverage at all, she was starting to feel like her fear was unwarranted. And what better place to announce their relationship than a red carpet soirée? 

After a minute or so of Matt staring open-mouthed at Alex in pure shock, he started shaking his head vehemently. "Alex, love, you don't want to do this at a red carpet event, believe me."

"Why not?" Her face fell, and Matt reacted instantly with a gentle hand to her chin, lifting her eyes back to his.

"The press at these events are  _brutal._ You know that," he said softly. She nodded her head meekly, and Matt took a deep breath. "Alex I am positively thrilled that you want to take this step. I am over the moon, really. But I want to do it the smart way, love." 

Alex took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then sighed. "You're right. What should we do? I'm tired of hiding." 

"I am too, you know I am. But you know we've only got one shot to do this, so let's do it right. The premier isn't right. But we'll figure it out."

*****

Alex woke up to Matt's hand gently shaking her, calling her name. "Alex, wake up, I need to talk to you. Sweetheart, wake up, please."

She rolled over and fixed him with a glare that would frighten the most fearless of soldiers and squeezed her eyes back shut. "I. Am. Awake. You. Madman." she emphasized each word with pointed frustration. "What is so important that you had to tell me at 7am?"

"Well, the premier is tonight, and Laura's just called to say she can't make it. Mum can't go, I've called her and asked. I already RSVP'd with a plus-one and I don't want to be "that guy", so I need someone to go with..." Matt trailed off waiting for the implication to hit Alex's fuzzy morning brain. 

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" She opened her eyes slowly, taking an agonizingly long time to meet Matt's eyes. 

"Well, it's you or Daisy," he said without a smile. "And the press will have a field day with either one of those options."

Alex sat up quickly and hit Matt with enough force to knock him backwards. Daisy had been one of the reasons she was so reluctant to give him a chance in the first place. To go from a model to, well, a  _mom_ was a bit of a drastic change and she had been concerned Matt wouldn't realize until it was too late. She hadn't voiced that insecurity since a month or two into their relationship, though, and Matt rarely mentioned her either. 

He sat himself back on the edge of the bed and chuckled. "Alex, hun, I'm only joking. The time for taking Daisy to premiers is long past. But that means the only other option is - "

"Me," she finished for him. She looked him in the eyes then, and saw the fear he was trying so valiantly to hide. Surprisingly, that gave her more courage. "Okay," she said, her voice much stronger than she expected. "I'll go. But we need to plan this just perfectly."

*****

As the car approached the theatre, they could see the throngs of people surrounding the building. Bright lights shining, cameras flashing, men in fashionable 3-piece suits and women in stunning gowns that flowed to the floor of the red carpet like feathers on a light summer's breeze.

Alex squeezed Matt's hand tighter the closer they got. "It's going to be fine," he whispered in her ear as the car slowed to a stop. 

She nodded quickly and sucked in a deep breath as the door was opened and Matt moved to get out. It was as though time had slowed; the shouts of the press and the screams of the fans all came toward Alex in slow motion as Matt's hand reached in to help her out of the car. All too soon she was no longer hidden and the crowd seemed to quiet for just a fraction of a second before it erupted in new shouts, chants, screams, and calls of "Over here! Matt, Alex, over here!". Matt wrapped his arm around his as they walked toward the doors of the theatre, smiling at the crowds and refusing to stop for even one interview. It was not his premier; he didn't need to say a word. 

Once inside the doors he felt Alex slump against him in relief and he squeezed her hand gently to let her know he was still there. They found their seats easily, right next to some other members of the Who cast, and the rest of the premier went rather smoothly. Matt would occasionally lean over to whisper something in Alex's ear and she would giggle, or she would lightly tap him on the knee and point to someone in a ridiculous dress a few rows in front of them and they would laugh together. There were no problems leaving the theatre when it was all over, and they skipped any of the afterparties, opting instead to go home to a bottle of wine and their comfortable bed. 

*****

Alex rolled over and stretched the next morning, opening her eyes to greet the sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. The fan seemed to be moving the shades, though, because the sunlight was blinking, almost like a-  _Oh no,_ Alex thought as she slowly rolled her back to the window, attempting to flatten herself to bed as discreetly as possible.  _Almost like a camera flash._

_  
_She reached out to grab her phone, hoping Matt had been out of the room before the photographer ( _Oh hell, I can call this jerk a paparazzi_ , she thought) had arrived. She dialed his number and his phone rang on the other side of the bed.  _Shit, shit shit shit._

_  
_Alex heard Matt's footsteps on his way to the bedroom, and tried to call out to him. "Matt, don't come in. Matt, do you hear me? Ma-"

"Oh, bugger," she heard him say as he walked through the doorway in nothing but his boxers. "Well, Kingston, you did say you were tired of hiding, didn't you?"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at updating, I know. If you're returning to this story know that I love you to bits and will do better with the last few chapters (I think there may only be 2 or 3 left). Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If we are forced to share our relationship with the world, on top of the part of our lives we already share, then it's not really a relationship. And we don't see the point in wasting our time"

It was posted on a gossip site first, and then spread to more trustworthy sources until it had been mentioned in nearly every major publication they could think of. Cheesy headlines like "Shock! The Doctor and River Bring Their Relationship to Earth" or "Smith and Kingston Taking Research to a Whole New Level" accompanied the photo of Alex in bed with Matt standing in the doorway in his boxers. It was as bad as they expected, and yet in other ways it could have been so much worse. For the most part reactions seemed to follow more of the "we already knew" trains of thought as opposed to the scandalous, absurd thoughts that Alex had been prepared to see. Still, having your relationship advertised to the world before you're ready is difficult to deal with whether it is being done politely or not.

 

"I don't see why we should hide anymore," Matt said in frustration. "I know this isn't how you wanted to come out, so to speak, but it's done now so why backtrack?"

 

Alex sighed. "Because I don't want the press to think they are capable of dictating my life. I wasn't ready to share my relationship with the world before the photos were taken and I am even less convinced at my readiness to do it now."

 

They had been arguing all day about whether or not to release a statement, and whether that statement should include an explanation of the state in which they were found. The arguments that Matt had spent so much time avoiding in these last months of improvement were coming out again. They had each stepped back into their corner of the ring and were fighting harder now than they were before. What would bring some couples together in solidarity against the masses was tearing Matt and Alex apart, little by little.

 

After three days of consistent arguments and their inability to make a decision together, their agents made it for them. A statement was released stating that the two had been seeing each other for a while but were not serious and did not plan on continuing to see each other after this debacle. Something along the lines of "If we are forced to share our relationship with the world, on top of the part of our lives we already share, then it's not really a relationship. And we don't see the point in wasting our time" was mentioned in the statement in hopes that the media would back off even the slightest bit.

 

When Matt saw the copy his agent had e-mailed to him he was absolutely livid. He marched into the living room where Alex was watching t.v. on the couch and practically screamed at her, "We weren't serious? Really? Last I checked you didn't profess your love to someone you weren't serious about. You didn't argue with them about taking the relationship public. You didn't learn to dance in order to surprise them with something they'd been longing to do for years, and you sure as _hell_ didn’t buy them a bloody engagement ring!” He tossed a small, dark blue box at Alex and stormed back down the hall toward the bedroom. She sat up on the couch, stunned, and looked at the box . Turning it over in her hands a few times she felt her heart constrict and tears threaten to build behind her eyes. She opened it slowly to find a modest silver engagement ring glistening back at her. It was perfect. A single carat ruby nestled between two ½ carat diamonds, it wasn’t a traditional diamond ring but it was absolutely perfect. And apparently no longer necessary.

 

By the time Alex was able to take her eyes off the beautiful ring in her hands, Matt was walking toward the door with an overnight bag in his hands.  He cut her off as she opened her mouth to speak. “I can’t keep up with all this fighting, Alex.” He sighed and his height lost nearly two inches as his shoulders slouched toward the floor. “I love you, so much, but I can’t seem to be able to make you happy anymore.  I’ll be at my mum’s if you need me, but please try to call only if it’s an emergency. I think we need to take a step or two back and look at what is best for us right now. I just- I just can’t. “

 

With that Matt turned and walked out the door. Alex stared at the place he was standing only moments before, lost in thought, before it finally hit her: he was gone. Another one had left her. And this time, it was most definitely all her fault. She let her gaze fall back to the ring in her hands and she closed the box with a loud snap, setting it on the coffee table in front of her and standing. She stood in the living room of their – her – flat and looked around. All of a sudden everything looked darker, like the color had been drained from every corner. And then she cried. For hours she let the tears fall, curled up in her bed, mourning the best man she had ever met. _There has to be a way to fix this,_ she thought. _There must._ And then a thought occurred to her; she walked slowly back out to the living room, grabbing the small blue box off the table and opening it again. Taking a deep breath she pulled the ring out and slipped it onto her left ring finger – it was a perfect fit. After looking at it for a few moments she picked up her phone and called her agent. They had some major damage control to work on, and the press never sleeps.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The photo was staring Matt in the face and yet he still didn't believe it. His heart was at war with his head, seeing the ring on Alex's finger; his heart loved that she was wearing it but his head had to remind him that he didn't propose. He left. So as of right now, that ring meant nothing.

Alex sat in her empty flat looking at her left hand and trying not to think about what - or rather _who_ \- was missing to make everything feel so absolutely barren. She hadn't spoken to Matt in days, but not for lack of trying. He wouldn't pick up his phone. He wouldn't respond to text messages, and when she tried calling his mum or Laura they both told her that he didn't want to speak to her. The pity in their voices just made her feel worse. She had tried explaining everything to them, and though Laura seemed to think Alex’s plan was incredibly romantic, Lynne had reservations about using the press. Considering the press got them into this mess in the first place.

Alex continued to plot and plan, though, knowing that the only way she would be able to get Matt's attention would be through the media. And although she had no way of controlling _everything_ that happened once this plan was set into motion, she planned on controlling as much of it as she possibly could. She would win him back. She hadn't realized just how much she counted on him, how much he really meant to her, until he walked out the door. This was different than the fighting- that never seemed like an ending. If she stopped fighting for him now, though, she was guaranteed never to see Matt again outside of work. And that wasn't acceptable.

She made a few phone calls over the next few days to various newspapers and magazines, gossip rags and legitimate news sources alike. She knew which sources he read regularly, but it needed to look believable- like someone leaked a photo or two as opposed to being fed the information from the subject herself.

She had photos of herself walking through town, meeting with Arthur, buying groceries, and just living a normal life; the only difference was that she had a new piece of jewelry on her left hand. Strategic placement of the hand on Arthur's shoulder or waving to someone down the street made it perfectly clear what the viewer of the photo should be focusing on. She hoped that when the photos got out people would start speculating who it was, how long it had been going on, and that word would eventually get to Matt through an agent or family member that Alex Kingston was suddenly wearing a gorgeous ruby ring on the third finger of her left hand. She knew that wearing the ring he’d thrown at her in anger would either intrigue or frustrate him enough that he would finally call. All she needed was that one phone call and she would convince him to listen.

*****

The photo was staring Matt in the face and yet he still didn't believe it. His heart was at war with his head, seeing the ring on Alex's finger; his heart loved that she was wearing it but his head had to remind him that he didn't propose. He left. So as of right now, that ring meant nothing.

He wanted to pick up the phone and call her, ask her why she was wearing it and what she thought it meant for them but he wasn't that stupid. It was what she wanted. And he didn't think he could stand to hear her voice only a week after the incident.

His mum was more than thrilled to have her boy back in the nest. She was absolutely doting on him, and though he knew full well _why_ she was doing it, the feeling the act created was welcome.

Folding up the paper and tossing it in the recycling bin, he got up from the table and went down to the bedroom. As he walked through the door he heard the last few notes of his ringtone and rushed to answer it in time, but he was too late. Looking at the caller ID he sighed - in relief? Pain? Sadness? He wasn't sure. Alex had finally stopped calling multiple times a day and he didn't really know what to make of it. The fight they'd had when those photos leaked was worse than anything they'd ever gone through before, and it felt as though they'd never be able to recover from it. Alex's continual refusal to just ride the wave of the press made it difficult to justify the months of effort he had put into their relationship to fix it. She had started trying the little things, sure. But he could only do so much to prove to her that he was different. If she wasn't ready to give, then maybe it really was time.

As he sat on the bed staring at his phone, it dinged again with a voicemail notification. After wrestling with himself for a few minutes he slid his finger across the phone and put it to his ear.

“Matt, I don’t know if you’ve seen the photos yet,” his agent sighed into the recording. “But we need to talk about that ring. I’m confused and I am getting hounded for a response. Call me.”

He hit the call-back button and placed the phone back to his ear. His agent picked up and the first thing he said was, “I have absolutely no idea what’s going on.”

“You have no idea? That’s your comment?”

“Well, that’s the truth, so yes. That’s my comment.”  
“Matt, that isn’t going to fly.”

“Look- I threw the ring at her in anger right before walking out the door. It wouldn’t surprise me if she planned this whole thing in order to get me to call her. Which I am not going to do.”

“Fine. Your comment is that you know nothing about the ring. If that’s how you want it.”

“Yeah. That’s how I want it.”

Matt hung up the phone and tossed it to the other side of the bed. He grabbed a pillow and curled his body around it, allowing himself to feel regret in his decision to walk out for the first time. _It was the right decision. I’d sacrificed enough. Right?_

*****

Alex stared at her phone. She had stopped calling Matt, resorting to dialing the number and deleting it before hitting send. The photos had leaked a week ago, and Matt was about the only person that she hadn’t heard from. She refused to release a statement until she had heard one from Matt, trying to play off his response. When his agent released a quote that he claimed to know nothing, Alex was devastated. But she wasn’t going to give up. She would convince him to give them one last shot. She just had to figure out how.

Picking up her phone, she took a deep breath and dialed Matt’s number. She would try calling one last time. If he ignored her call, then she would have a definitive answer. If he picked up, she would fight harder than ever.

The phone rang, and rang, and rang. And finally she heard a click. “You’ve reached Matt. Leave a message.”

She placed the phone gingerly on the bedside table and curled up on her side. Closing her eyes tight to stop the tears that threatened to fall, her phone started ringing.

She reached out without opening her eyes and put it to her ear with a quiet, “Hello?”

“Alex.” She shot up off the bed as she listened to his strained breathing on the other end. The voice she never thought she’d hear say her name again. He’d called her back.

“Matt?” she said, shakily.

“Yeah,” he replied. “So, I hear you’re engaged.”

Alex let out a breath. He wasn’t wasting any time, was he?

“Well, I’m not sure, actually,” she said softly. “See, I did something really stupid. And the ring was a kind of olive branch. But it hasn’t worked, so I think it might be time to let it go.”

“You did something stupid?” Matt asked.

“Yeah. I let the love of my life walk out the door because I was afraid.” The tears spilled over as she choked out the last sentence. “And now I’m afraid he isn’t going to come back.”

“That was pretty stupid,” Matt said. “But I don’t think I’d say he’s _never_ going to come back.”

“Matt?” Alex asked after a moment of silence.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know, Alex. I know.”

***** 

“It looks good on you,” Matt said quietly, his eyes roaming to the ring she still wore on her finger.

“Well the guy who gave it to me has good taste, I’ll give him that,” Alex chuckled awkwardly as she joined Matt’s gaze on her hand.

They both stayed silent for a moment, both wondering exactly what it was they were doing.

“Matt – ” Alex started, then cut herself off. She had no idea how to finish that sentence. _I’m sorry_ had been said thousands of times in the last week, along with _I don’t know what to say_ and _What do we do?_. As much as both of them seemed to want to fix things, neither of them knew where to start. Or if it was even possible anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the waiting, dolls! This is the last official chapter, as number 6 will be a very very short epilogue. I'll upload that probably Tuesday or Wednesday (it's already written). 
> 
> Thank you to Tanya (youkeepfighting) over at Tumblr for the beta!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I love you, you know."

“I love you, you know,” Matt whispered. He kept his gaze on Alex’s hands, too afraid to meet her eyes.

“How?” she asked, nothing but sincerity and confusion in her voice. “After everything I’ve done to you, how could you still love me?”

“I never stopped. I don’t think I could if I tried, Alex. You just never wanted to let me.”

“I was afraid.”

“I would never leave you, you know that.”

“I know! You think I don’t know? I tried pushing you away. For your own good, I tried giving you a reason to leave. I gave you a few, actually. I knew you wouldn’t go. I wasn’t afraid of that. I was afraid you’d stay.”

“Why on earth would you be afraid of me staying?” Matt asked, incredulous.

“Because then I’d have to let myself fall again. I’d have no more excuses. And those excuses keep me safe.”

“I want to keep you safe, Alex. Let me keep you safe.”

“Darling,” Alex brought her hand to cup his cheek, and she smiled when he leaned into her touch. “Don’t you know you’ve been doing that for weeks?”

Matt lifted his eyes from her hand and stared at her like she was crazy.

“What are you talking about? This is the first time I’ve seen you since we were forced to go public. My leaving could hardly have kept you safe.”

Alex smiled indulgently and placed her left hand on his. “You have, though. By leaving you let me have just a few more weeks to realize a few things. One: that it really doesn’t matter who knows about our relationship because it is ours. Two: that I love you more than anything in the entire world. Three: We’ve had our problems, sure. But all it took for me to really believe it was worth it was that tiny blue box containing the promise of an entirely new world. It really was bigger on the inside." She laughed, and he smiled at her. "And lastly, four: if you’ll still have me, sweetie, I would love nothing more than to become your wife.” With that she pulled out a box just like the one he’d thrown at her weeks before and opened it to display a beautiful silver ring. No fancy embellishments, just a simple band that matched the band of her ring perfectly.

“Kingston!” Matt gasped. “Isn’t it the man’s job to do the proposing and the ring-giving and all that?!”

“Yes, well, I kind of stole your chance to do that when I forced you out the door. So here I am. Stealing it again. Now. Will you marry me?”

 

*****

 

“We did it, Matt,” Alex smiles up at Matt’s beaming face. “We’re married.”

“Finally,” he laughs.

Alex slapped his arm lightly. “Hey!”

Kissing her gently on the forehead, he pulls her in closer and whispers in her ear, “It was worth every second of waiting. Every. Second.” A shudder ran down Alex’s spine as he pulled her along with him to the car.

“Now, husband of mine, let’s go make an honest woman out of me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through this fic. I love you all so very much for being so supportive! <3


End file.
